Hi All, I'm seeking advice on modifying an assignment for a first year course next semester. The course (Principles in Animal Behaviour, Welfare & Ethics) has run since 2008 with ~140 students from 2 academic programs. I started to use TBL to replace lectures in 2010, and have had a lot of success, particularly since we have single day timetabling and 3-hr lecture blocks. I'm now looking to replace the major assignment in the course, which was set up as an online e-Simulation with groups of 4 students. They debated an area of controversial animal use, each group representing a different stakeholder, then a decision making group putting the information together to make a final decision (eg should battery cages for layer hens be banned). While it had advantages, it conflicted with principles of TBL plus I've lost my IT support to run it this year. There were always some major group frictions with free loaders or control freaks. Thus I want to modify the assignment using TBL principles this year. Material that they can use for the assignment is presented in the mornings during TBL sessions and lectures (I have guest lecturers and haven't replaced all content with TBL). I'm thinking of getting teams to work together to write a 1 page submission for a public inquiry (eg should farrowing crates in pigs be banned?) from the two main viewpoints- industry and an animal welfare organisation. They would have class time to work on this and could finish and submit it on a wiki, and then the following week the teams would mark the submissions of 3 other teams. I know Larry Michaelsen warns against using team reports in TBL, but I'm hoping that by making them short and then getting other teams to mark them it will work. There would be 3 cycles of this type of work, and then at the very end they would write individual reflective reports on what they had learnt during the assignment. I would also run a final face-to-face session in which teams would vote using clickers. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, particularly if anyone has used something similar. I have been reading Chapter 7 'Team-Based Learning in Social Sciences Research Methods Classes' by Sarah Mahler in 'Team-Based Learning in the Social Sciences and Humanities', Edited by Michael Sweet and Larry Michaelsen, and have found it an invaluable resource. Best wishes, Susan Susan Hazel BVSc BSc(Vet) PhD GradCert (Public Health) MANZCVSc Lecturer in Animal Behaviour, Welfare and Ethics School of Animal & Veterinary Sciences THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE Roseworthy SA 5371 Australia Ph : +61 8 8313 7828 Fax : +61 8 8313 7972 e-mail: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> CRICOS Provider Number 00123M ----------------------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT: This message may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you think it was sent to you by mistake, please delete all copies and advise the sender. For the purposes of the SPAM Act 2003, this email is authorised by The University of Adelaide. Think green: read on the screen. [Untitled-10.jpg]<http://www.sciences.adelaide.edu.au/e-science>